Riderless weaving frame



Filed Jan. 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lllllllllll Illlllllfll Dec. 7, 1965 a. KOCH RIDERLESS WEAVING FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29, 1964 United States The invention concerns a heddle frame having at least one detachable side strut and furthermore having heddle rods of which at least one end can be swung out of the heddle frame. With such a heddle frame it is possible to automatically line up the heddles, for example with a machine, and for this purpose the side supports have to be removed and/or the heddle rods have to be swung out of the plane of the heddle frame.

Known constructions of heddle frames wherein the ends of the heddle rods can be pulled forward to line up the weaving heddles, have the disadvantage that, if the side supports can at all be easily removed, no means whatsoever are provided to guide the ends of the heddle rods with sufiicient accuracy in relation to the end of the frame rail. Also, no locking device is known for the ends of the heddle rods which would secure such rods in working position independently of the respective strut especially when the heddle rods, due to particularities of the drawing-in machine, must not be longer than the actual rail, that is to say, the space between the struts. On the other hand the end of the heddle rod shall reach up to the inner surface of the strut so that preferably the full working width of the weaving frame can be used.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved heddle frame.

According to the present invention a heddle frame including at least one detachable side and heddle rods of which at least one end can be swung out, is characterised in that the heddle rod, at at least one of its ends, is independent of the side strut and is removably fixed exclusively to the respective frame rail.

With the heddle frame the subject of the present invention the heddle rod is, at least at one of its ends, independent of the side strut being exclusively supported by the related frame rail. The free ends of the upper and lower heddle rods, which can be swung out are thus secured in working position in relation to the related frame rail, even when the side strut is removed.

As compared to the known heddle frames which are provided with heddle rods connected to the frame rails over the Whole length, the heddle frame which is the subject of the present invention has the advantage that the ends of the heddle rods can be swung outwardly away from the plane of the heddle frame and the heddles rapidly and easily removed therefrom. This feature can easily be achieved in that the heddle rod holder, positioned at the end of the heddle rod, co-acts with a slide latch which is slidably mounted in the frame rail at its end. Conveniently the fingerpiece grip of the slide latch is accessible from either side of the heddle frame and the heddle rod can be swung out to either side since the rod holder reaches only up to the inner surface of the frame rail. The fingerpiece grip of the slide latch is out of the range of the rod holder and thus is readily accessible. Further, the rod holder can be convenientatent ice ly positioned right at the side strut thus to be engageable with the connecting device of the warp drawing machine. Furthermore the slide latch is under spring tension and closes automatically as soon as the rod holder has been moved to the right position. A further advantage of this invention is that the slide latch when in its end position, can move over inclined guide edges so that the head of the slide latch pulls the angled bearing surface of the rod holder against the inner surface of the frame rail, i.e. secures it in the predetermined end position. Should the heddle carrying rods be fixed in such a way to the frame staves that they can be shifted in their longitudinal direction for reasons of more rational manufacturing or even be removed by being slid sidewards the heddle carrying rod can with the simplest means and independent of the side strut be secured against sliding in its longitudinal direction, for example by letting the bearing surface of the rod holder enter into a slotted recess on the inner surface of the frame rail. By a stop positioned at the side support, disengagement of heddles from the heddle rod if the heddle rod does not enter into the side strut, can be avoided. If this stop enters a recess in the heddle rod or of the rod holder and if it is further more hook-like, it serves as additional support to the end of the heddle rod in case of excessive strain in the running direction of the warp.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one embodiment thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the right hand side of a frame with the struts fastened in their working position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the right hand upper part of the weaving frame shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, the side strut having been removed for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows where the heddle frame is seen in inverted plan view near one end of the upper frame rail with fixed side support and heddle rod swung out and with the locking device in the open position.

Referring now to the drawings FIG. 1 shows the right hand side of a heddle frame consisting in the usual manner of an upper rail 1 with an upper heddle rod 2, a readily removable strut 3 and a lower frame rail 4 upon which is mounted a lower heddle rod 5. At least one of the side struts 3 is connected to the ends of the upper and lower rails 1 and 4 by threaded fasteners 3n, and the ends of said threaded fasteners are received in correspondingly threaded bores 3b in the ends of said rails. The weaving heddles 6 are mounted on the heddle rods 2 and 5 with the loops in the ends of the heddles received on the rods. The heddle rods are detachably connected and supported by the frame rails. Secured to the upper and lower heddle rods adjacent the ends thereof is a plate-like rod holder 7 and a rod holder 8. Rivets or the like, as at 10, are provided for securing said platelike holders 7 and 8 in position at the ends of said rods. The plate-like holders 7 and 8 are spaced from the heddle rods by intermediate spacer members 9 (FIGS. 3 and 5). The upper and lower rails 1 and 4 are recessed as at 19 (FIG. 2) to provide slots 19 extending inwardly from the inner edge of the rails and .slidably received in said recess 19 is a slide latch 15 (FIGS. 3 and 5) having a slide latch head 11 which is adapted to connect the rod holder 7 with the upper rail 1. The rod holders 7, 8 and the slide latch members are similar in construction and are connected to the heddle bars in substantially the same manner as by means of the rivets 10. Each of the latch members 15 are slidably mounted in the upper and bottom rails by means of transversely extending pins 14 which are received in longitudinal slots 22 and 23 (FIG. 2) and said slots are provide-d with inclined end portions 14' which urge the latch members in a direction toward the opposite edges of the rails 1 and 4. Each of the latch members 15 is provided with a finger grip portion 13 to permit a pull force to be exerted on the slide in a dire tion away from the plate-like rod holders 7 and 8 when the latch heads 11 and 12 are moved to their release position. The dowel pins or rivets 14 guide the slides 15 in the recesses 19 and are located in the frame rails 1 and 4, the slide latch heads 11 and 12 and finger grips 13 thereof protrude inwardly from the inner edge of the frame rails 1 and 4.

The lower rod holder 8 is provided with a longitudinal recess 16. Thus, when the head of the slide latch 12 is pulled back, the heddle rod 5 together with the rod holder 8 can be swung out of the plane of the frame on either side thereof.

The free edges of the rod holders 7 and 8 are flanged as at 24 (FIG. 2) and are notched as at 25 to provide a recess for receiving the latch heads 11 and 12. Thus, when the latch members 15 are slid longitudinally within the recesses 19 of the upper and lower rails the head portions 11 and 12 interlock with the slots 25 formed in the rod supports 7 and 3 and securely hold the heddle rods in position. The end of the upper heddle rod is slightly different in construction and is provided with a recess 17 into which a hook-like stop 18 is adapted to be received. The stop 18 is attached to the strut 3 and insures that even though the heddle rod 2 does not extend entirely to the struts, the outermost weaving heddle 6 cannot be displaced in the space between the end of the heddle rod 2 and the side strut 3, and hence be disengaged therefrom. The lower heddle rod and rod holder 8 are not provided with the recess 17 and hook 18 and hence can be swung forwards or backwards if desired.

In FIGURE 2 there is shown a longitudinal bore 20 extending inwardly from the end of the upper rail, and it is to be understood that a similar bore is formed in the lower rail. Mounted within said bore 20 is a coil spring 21 having one end engaging one of the rivets 14,

-while the other end engages a projection on the slide 15 to exert a yielding spring force on the slide in a direction toward the side strut 3. Thus, by exerting a force upon the fingerpiece 13 in a direction away from the side strut 3 the latch head 11 will be disengaged from the corresponding rod holder 7, or in the case of the latch head 12 will be released from the rod holder 8. When the assembly is locked the neck of the slide latch lying between the head 11 and the body proper enters a slot 25 provided in the slot 24 formed in the flanged portion thereof. To secure the rod holder 7 and the heddle rod 2, in locked position against movement in a direction longitudinally of the frame rail 1, the inner surface of the frame rail facing the heddle rod has been slightly cut away from 26a to 26b to form the recess or slot adjacent the ends of the heddle bars. Into this cut away slot the flange 24 presents a bearing surface of the rod holder 7 which partially enters the cut away portion and is secured against longitudinal movement and is further limited to a minimum amount of play by the limit points 26a and 2611 on either side thereof.

The upper frame rail 1 shown in FIGURE 3 with the side strut displaced illustrates the manner in which the rod holder 7 and the heddle rod 2 are attached to the rail 1 with the spacer member 9 displacing the heddle rod 2 a slight distance from the plate-like rod holder 7 to permit the heddles to he slipped over the end of the heddle bar 2.

In FIGURE 4 it will be seen that the width of the hook member 18 on the strut 3 is received in the recess 17 of the heddle rod 2 and that the recess is of a width substantially equal to the combined width of the hook 18 with its laterally projecting portion. Thus, to disengage the hook 18 it is necessary to exert a slight downward movement or force on the upper heddle rod 2 after the latch head 11 has been released so as to permit the heddle rod to be swung horizontally out of the plane of the heddle frame.

FIG. 5 shows the upper frame stave 1 with swung-out heddle carrying rod 2, seen from the inside of the weaving frame. The heddle carrying rod 2 and the intermediate piece 9 are omitted in order that the angled bearing surface 24 of the rod holder 7 with slot 25 can be shown more clearly. The slide member 15 is pulled back, i.e. in opened position to disengage the interlocking surfaces of the slide member from the plate-like holder one from the other.

The cutaway or recess 19 is formed in the shape of a longitudinal slot as shown in FIGURES 2 and 5. The recess forming the stop is formed by cutting away the lower and upper edges of the rails 1 and 4 between the points 26:: and 26b. The slide member 15 is yieldingly urged in a direction toward the side strut 3 and the slots or recesses 16 and 17 are rectangular and extend inwardly from the edge of the plate-like holder 7, 8 and the end of at least one of the heddle rods 2. The heddle bars or rods 2 are formed of metal and are flexible to the extent that they can be disengaged and bent forwardly looking at FIGURE 1 and as shown in FIGURE 5 out of the plane of the heddle frame. The lower heddle bar 5 can be flexed rearwardly as well as forwardly to the other side of the plane of the heddle frame from that shown in full lines in FIGURE 5. The pins 14 extend through the marginal edges of the rails 1 and 4 and provide guides for the slide 15 which is longitudinally movable in the slot or recess 19. As shown in FIGURE 3 each of the plate-like holders 7, 8 are provided with an angular flange 24 one edge of which abuts against the edge 26b to limit the movement of the slide member 15 in the direction of spring force, while the other edge engages the surface 26:: and limits the opening movement of the latch member in a direction against the action of the coil spring 21. The head of the latch 11 is rounded so that when the slide member 15 engages the head with the flange 24 the plate-like holders 7, 8 will be securely held in position. The plate-like members 7, 8 are substantially identical in construction as well as the slide members 15.

I claim:

1. In a heddle frame having upper and lower frame rails and at least one detachable side strut, heddle rods extending between said struts, said upper and lower rails being provided with recesses, a plate-like holder on said heddle rods, and a slide mounted in each of said recesses to detachably engage said holder and lock each of said heddle rods in their operative position.

2. In a heddle frame as set forth in claim 1 in which said slide and holder are provided with interlocking surfaces which are adapted to be engaged and disengaged when the slide is moved longitudinally.

3. In a heddle frame as set forth in claim 1 in which said slide is provided with a projection forming a fingerpiece to enable the slide to be manually operated.

4. In a heddle frame as set forth in claim 1 in which at least one of the interlocking surfaces is inclined and arranged to forcibly urge the plate-like holders into tight engagement with the inner surfaces of said rails.

5. In a heddle frame as set forth in claim 1 in which the inner surfaces of said rails are cut away to provide 5 6 spaced stop surfaces engageable by said plate-like holders 2,625,958 1/ 1953 Kaufmann 139-92 to limit longitudinal movement thereof. 2,708,455 5/ 1955 Kanfmann 13992 6. In a heddle frame as set forth in claim 1 in which 3,071,164 1/1963 Nussbaum 139-92 said plate-like rod holder terminates a short distance from 3 154 109 10 1954 K f 139 92 the side strut to allow slight movement of the holder in 5 either direction relative to the plane of the frame. FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 233 :3233 z UNITED STATES PATENTS 338,796 7/1959 Switzerland.

2,108,095 2/1938 Bahan 139-92 10 2,614,586 10/1952 Kaufmann 13992 DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A HEDDLE FRAME HAVING UPPER AND LOWER FRAME RAILS AND AT LEAST ONE DETACHABLE DSIDE STRUT, HEDDLE RODS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID STRUTS, SAID UPPER AND LOWER RAILS BEING PROVIDED WITH RECESSES, A PLATE-LIKE HOLDER ON SAID HEDDLE RODS, AND A SLIDE MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID RECESSES TO DETACHABLY ENGAGE SAID HOLDER AND LOCK EACH OF SAID HEDDLE RODS IN THEIR OPERATIVE POSITION. 